High speed digital data transmission and reception systems, devices, components and methods are known in the art. One such system is differential data transmission, in which the difference in voltage levels between two signal lines forms the transmitted signal. Differential data transmission is commonly used for data transmission rates greater than 100 Mbps over long distances.
In comparison to single-sided data transmission and reception techniques, differential signal transmission and reception techniques have several advantages, such as increased immunity and isolation from various types of noise, typically lower power consumption, and high common mode noise rejection levels. A number of problems preclude or make more difficult their more widespread use in galvanically-isolated devices and systems, however, such as the need to provide power to both sides of the galvanic isolation barrier from different power supplies or different wiring connectors or interfaces.
What is needed is a device capable of providing galvanic isolation at high data transmission and reception rates, but which does not require the provision of separate power supplies or separate external wiring for multiple power supplies.
Further details concerning various aspects of some prior art devices and methods may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,348,805 to Cannon et al. entitled “Chip-to-Chip Digital Transmission Circuit Delivering Power over Signal Lines” dated Mar. 25, 2008, and PCT International Publication Number WO 96126590 to Bierkeli et al. entitled “Interface Isolator Circuit for Differential Signals” dated Aug. 29, 1996.